12/08/2014
The solid first installment of the Seduction Diaries Regency series introduces strong characters but sometimes struggles to maintain momentum. Clare Westmore is the darling of the debutantes: properly coiffed, surreptitiously bookish, and all but certain to marry well. When a sprained ankle renders Clare homebound, she’s frustrated at missing the all-important social engagements intended to secure her future. Bored, she spends her time sparring with Dr. Daniel Merial, her handsome and brilliant physician, who is well below her socially. Problems begin to brew as Daniel and Clare reluctantly yield to their mutual attraction. Clare’s carefully scripted brainless, snobby persona begins to crack when her so-called friends begin scheming, family dysfunction is revealed, and “life-altering secrets” become society gossip. As events unfold, Clare discovers that her feelings about love, marriage, and class have changed, completing a coming-of-age transformation. McQuiston capably provides surprises to make sense of the family disorder, but the novel begins to stall with the couple’s denials and indecisiveness. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Mar.)
McQuiston explores class, friendship and family ties in this refreshing romance that follows Daniel’s and Clare’s journeys to self-enlightenment and love. A charming romance with a unique, entertaining storyline that makes us cheer for the doctor hero, his broad-minded heroine and their eclectic supporting cast.” — Kirkus Reviews
“One of my favorite new writers!” — Julia Quinn, New York Times Bestselling Author
“McQuiston has created characters with self-awareness, intellect, and heart in the opening title in her Seduction Diaries series, a romance Regency fans will adore.” — Booklist
“McQuiston’s unique sense of humor and talent for transforming characters from young and foolish to mature and admirable is showcased here. She manages to make a dysfunctional family fun, and…the reader will continue to care about the characters. A highly affirming read.” — RT Book Reviews
McQuiston’s unique sense of humor and talent for transforming characters from young and foolish to mature and admirable is showcased here. She manages to make a dysfunctional family fun, and…the reader will continue to care about the characters. A highly affirming read.
McQuiston has created characters with self-awareness, intellect, and heart in the opening title in her Seduction Diaries series, a romance Regency fans will adore.
One of my favorite new writers!
McQuiston has created characters with self-awareness, intellect, and heart in the opening title in her Seduction Diaries series, a romance Regency fans will adore.
2015-01-08
Clare Westmore's season is going swimmingly until she injures her ankle and meets a handsome doctor who makes her question everything.Considered a prize catch of the season, Clare is determined to land a duke, and things seem to be going well. After all, Mr. Alban, the future Duke of Harrington, is paying special attention to her. But when she hurts her ankle and meets Dr. Daniel Merial, everything changes. Fighting her physical and intellectual attraction is hard enough, but when Daniel becomes emotionally connected to her family and her siblings respond positively to his presence, it becomes even harder to disengage, even as she and Daniel begin to spend more time together and learn secrets they're not sure they want to know. Worse, Clare's family has secrets even she doesn't know, and apparently her social rise is enough of a threat that some of her rivals—some she believed to be friends—will seek any opportunity to besmirch her. Meanwhile, the more she learns about Daniel—including his problematic background, professional brilliance and highly tuned social conscience—the more she realizes her social aspirations mean nothing compared to the feelings she has for him. Apparently, though, the time has come for her family to face their many secrets, and as Clare navigates the fallout, good and bad, she lets go of society's rigid expectations to find her true self, a self who obviously belongs with Daniel. McQuiston explores class, friendship and family ties in this refreshing romance that follows Daniel's and Clare's journeys to self-enlightenment and love. A charming romance with a unique, entertaining storyline that makes us cheer for the doctor hero, his broad-minded heroine and their eclectic supporting cast.
Claire, like other girls of her time, is bound by familial and social duty to marry for status, but her heart and mind are more attracted to Daniel, a handsome doctor. Lana J. Weston’s engaging performance captures this tug-of-war between Claire’s social and personal needs. Weston’s fast, high tones highlight Claire’s brightness when she’s bantering (and falling in love) with Daniel; in contrast, she lets a slow, indifferent snootiness take over to characterize Claire’s peers. Weston effectively delivers the precision diction of the upper class, which is juxtaposed with the less-cultured dialect of Daniel’s working-class world. Weston’s heartfelt narration brings out the humor and absurdity of people at both ends of society and highlights the main players’ depth of emotion in this alluring historical romance. M.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
